attered Plans and

made. Her chest was tight, her breathing sharp and ragged, like she could not get enough air. Behind her, she heard James s

and caught her wrist

, wa

her eyes blazing.

s not what i

ow? You told me you had hockey practice, James. You said yo

y, but he hesitated. He rubbed the back of h

ay was supposed to be special. My birthday. And you-you did th

for it to happe

" she snapped. "What, did you trip and fall

fted. His expression harde

ne everybody wants. You should be lucky I even chose you in the first place

open, and for a moment, all she could hear

us right now?"

ome argument he had already won. "You're too emotional all t

think. She j

with a sharp slap that echoed in the

h shock. He opened his mouth

you," she hissed. "You're a selfish, a

macking her awake. Her steps slowed only when she reached her street. By the time she reached her porch,

en go inside.

to her? On her birthd

r pocket and pulled out her phone. She tapp

up after

You okay?" Alex's voi

calm. "Can you come get me? Please. I j

said quickly. "Gi

. She hated feeling this broken, hated that James still had that kind of power over her. But it was not just the cheating-it was the

and tried to focus on som

rd footsteps

t?" a voice

rned h

water bottle like it was an offering. His e

you doing here?" A

live next door. Kind of ha

se beside hers, then back to hi

shrugging casually. "Guess we just

I don't remember s

the radar," he said with

as cold. Her throat burned less after a few sips,

up the street. A small gra

l

pped off the porch, but her foot caught the edge of

eached out a

n her throat. Lucas's arm was around her, steadyi

e ey

th gold flecks, almost unreal. And something about them

re, frozen, st

ay. For a second, s

at each other, like she had known him before. Lik

hy he felt familiar. Why her

words c

ence, caught in a moment nei